West Virginia cave. Adopted by the family of the town's vet, Edgar--as he comes to be known--actually goes on to acquire an education and even falls in love with the vet's daughter, all the while struggling to keep his blood thirst under control. Things end tragically--unsurprisingly, interspecies romance is still battling considerable prejudice in this country. Composer-lyricist Laurence O'Keefe came up with catchy songs that owe a lot to late 1960s and early '70s rock musicals such as Godspell and even The Rocky Horror Show . Skillfully walking the thin line between over-the-top camp and actual emotion, O'Keefe has written a wonderful little musical that cleverly deals with issues of difference and community values. As weird as it sounds, we foresee quite a future for Bat Boy in amateur pr...  (less)

shouts, lofty cries, and rumbling, emotional singing that seems to have the power to move mountains. The group stick to their well-known "mother" theme (their first hit was the mind-blowing "I Can See Everybody's Mother, But I Can't See Mine" in 1949) on these two early '70s LPs, issued here as one CD. No less than three songs mourn the death of a matriarch--the bluesy, brilliant standby "Alone and Motherless," the moody, slow-tempo "When I Lost My Mother," and the revved tearjerker "Goodbye Mother." The group singing is tight, the tempo and material varied, the minimal percussion perfectly complementary, the guitar playing subtle, sparse, beautiful. But the real treat is when the five singers wind each other up, like a spinning top, into ecstatic realms of ent...  (less)

else--Jimi Hendrix was one fine blues guitarist. Combining the fluid lines of B.B. King with the spikiness of Hubert Sumlin and the crying tone of Elmore James with his usual synapse-frying intensity, Hendrix manages to both honor the music tradition while remaining uniquely himself. These studio outtakes and warm-ups (plus one previously released track, the magnificent "Hear My Train a Comin'") include a playful "Mannish Boy," the slow burn of "Once I Had A Woman," and a metallic "Bleeding Heart." --Steven Mirkin  (less)

1994-2004, and collects the very best of her Atlantic years on one essential disc. Highlights include a pair of #1 Billboard® pop hits Have You Ever and the GRAMMY®- winning The Boy Is Mine the #1 R&B hits I Wanna Be Down and Baby, the MTV Movie Award-winning song Sittin Up In My Room, the 2004 Kanye West-produced Top 40 hit Talk About Our Love, and much more.  (less)

the trenchant nature of bubbly-on-the-surface pop tunes such as the U.S. Top 20 single "Perfect Way" ("You want a margin of error for two") and "The Word Girl" ("The girl was never real / She stands for your abuse"). With veteran Aretha/Dusty/Bee Gees cohort Arif Mardin on board for several cuts, and contributions by pop subversives such as Fred Maher and Robert Quine, Cupid remains a classic of hyperintelligent post-new-wave pop funk. --Rickey Wright  (less)

almost all nonclassical guitarists." On top of his expert albeit unconventional playing, Spence growled, murmured, and scatted his way through a distinctive repertoire that included sea chanties, hymns, and pop tunes. This spontaneous 21-song album was recorded in a Boston apartment with Spence playing a borrowed Martin D-18. Surrounded by a circle of devotees, he comfortably sails through the likes of "Sloop John B." (it was a folk song before the Beach Boys got hold of it), "Will the Serpent Be Unbroken" (notice the revised title), and Spence's personal anthem, "Out on the Rolling Sea." In a single word: singular. --Steven Stolder  (less)

best and forge a riveting selection of sacred material ("I’ll Go To Church Again With Momma" and "Bring It To Jesus") as well as heart-breaking ballads like the title track —every offering created with the ease of master craftsmen.  (less)

like "High Noon" and "Pre-Emptive Strike." Now, a full six years later, he's back with a follow-up that is every bit as impressive as his debut, albeit in a different way. Once again, the producer has pushed his sampler to the limits, but this time he's brought with it a deeper, hungrier, more bad-ass spirit that's rarely found in modern dance music. There's a fabulous '80s vibe throughout (principally on tracks like "Monosylabik" and "You Can't Go Home Again"), along with the expected forays into b-boy culture (check the growling, massive "Treach Battle Break" and the funky-ass "Mashin' on the Motorway"). While it's identifiably Shadow, it ain't Endtroducing...Part 2 . It is, however, a worthy and i...  (less)

his soft, calming tunes. Give a Hot Country Star these songs, and their simple truths about love, faith, and country life would seem like platitudes. However, in the caress of Williams's warmhearted baritone, they come off as sincere, timeless nuggets of wisdom. With the barest of accompaniment, Williams took 10 of these 12 songs to the top of the country charts (while the remaining pair reached No. 2) in the '70s and '80s. Though he penned hits for many others, his own smashes usually came courtesy of writers such as Bob McDill and Wayland Holyfield, though Williams, a Texas native, clearly relates to their unpretentious, bucolic sentiments. Throughout, Williams gives good ol' boys back their good name and women back their dignity, and through the strength of h...  (less)

Bette Midler first rose to fame in the early '70s when her first two albums for Atlantic Records soared to the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. Decades of success later, the "Divine Miss M" is as popular as ever, with her sensational new Las Vegas revue - "The Showgirl Must Go On" at Caesar's Palace - adding to her global renown. Midler's new Rhino retrospective "The Best Bette", her most comprehensive single-disc anthology to date is an essential compilation of hits and favourites. It's an ideal way to experience the divine, and features classics including the US Top 10 smashes "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "From A Distance" plus the GRAMMY-winning songs "The Rose" and "Wind Beneath My Wings". Also featured is "Cool Yu...  (less)

that the boomer pinup boy has continued his metamorphosis. Signed to Jive Records, the label that spawned the careers of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, Bolton enlists the services of Swedish pop Svengali Max Martin, the man who penned Spears's "Oops!... I Did It Again" and the Backstreet Boys' "Shape of My Heart." Superstar producer Mutt Lange wrote the title track and manned the boards, while Lange's spouse, Shania Twain, and Richard Marx made writing contributions. As a result, Bolton has ended up with a pop confection that could top a cake. Ardent, heartfelt, and as transparent as a bride's peignoir, Only a Woman Like You for the most part shows the singer at his very best. Like a hero lifted out of the pages of a Harlequin rom...  (less)

talented, charming. Their self-titled debut CD was a top 20 hit on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Chart. Their images graced fanzine covers month after month and they created a frenzy everywhere they went. They even caused the shut down of a Minneapolis mall when some 2000 fans rushed the stage during a free concert there. After a seemingly unending round of tours and promotional appearances and a successful alliance with the Disney phenomenon known as High School Musical, the five Breeding brothers of B5, consisting of Dustin 19, Kelly 18, Patrick 16, Carnell 15 and Bryan 13, are back, all grown up and showing off a new mature sound. Their sophomore album is set for release on Diddy’s Bad Boy Records and the title, ...  (less)